The Powell Foundation
Houston, TX · EIN 74-6104592. Reported 1,368 grants totalling $91.1M to 523 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Yesaccepts unsolicited requests
$30,000median grant
$91.1Mgranted, 2021-2025
523recipients, as named on its returns
49%of grantees funded again the next year
$491.9Massets, latest filing
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Powell Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
This is the foundation's own statement to the IRS, not our judgement, and it says nothing about whether they have a form, a deadline, or an appetite for new grantees. Treat it as the reason this foundation is worth your research time, not as an invitation. Many small foundations of this kind have no website and no application process -- a letter of inquiry is the normal first step.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $30,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $75,000; the smallest was $50 and the largest $1,500,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
523 recipient names appear in its filings; the 250 largest are listed here. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bridgespan Group | Boston, MA | $1,948,533 | 4 | 2 | 2025 |
| Austin Ed Fund | Austin, TX | $1,524,779 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| PRECINCT4FORWARD | Houston, TX | $1,510,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bridgeyear | Houston, TX | $1,499,815 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kaboom | Washington, DC | $1,495,256 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Holdsworth Center | Austin, TX | $1,481,164 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Walker County | Huntsville, TX | $1,462,295 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Avance Inc | San Antonio, TX | $1,339,456 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Hermann Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $1,298,890 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| United Way for Greater Austin | Austin, TX | $1,255,729 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Mindpop | Austin, TX | $1,253,032 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Collaborative for Children | Houston, TX | $1,216,916 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Hay Center Foundation | Houston, TX | $1,000,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| United Way of Greater Houston | Houston, TX | $1,000,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Houston Arts Alliance | Houston, TX | $993,405 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Collegespring Inc | Walnut Creek, CA | $972,115 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Breakthrough Houston | Houston, TX | $964,151 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Spark | Houston, TX | $901,814 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Equal Opportunity Schools | Seattle, WA | $866,570 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Uteach Institute Co University of Texas Foundation | Austin, TX | $802,166 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute | Dallas, TX | $799,947 | 5 | 2 | 2024 |
| Communities in Schools of Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $756,800 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Buffalo Bayou Partnership | Houston, TX | $733,730 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Catalyst Education Dba Catalyst Exchange | New Orleans, LA | $700,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| E3 Alliance | Austin, TX | $700,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Breakthrough | Austin, TX | $693,384 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Arts Connect Houston | Houston, TX | $675,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Texas Children's Hospital | Houston, TX | $675,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Discoveru | Houston, TX | $630,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Greater Houston Community Foundation | Houston, TX | $602,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Creative Action | Austin, TX | $597,700 | 7 | 4 | 2025 |
| The University of Texas Foundation - Charles a Dana Center | Austin, TX | $597,621 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy Inc | Houston, TX | $592,960 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated | New York, NY | $552,000 | 7 | 5 | 2025 |
| Improving Education Inc | Baltimore, MD | $551,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Good Reason Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $550,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Texans Care for Children | Austin, TX | $550,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Search Homeless Services | Houston, TX | $547,500 | 13 | 5 | 2025 |
| Children's Museum Houston | Houston, TX | $544,525 | 9 | 2 | 2024 |
| FIRST3YEARS | Addison, TX | $525,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kids' Meals Inc | Houston, TX | $525,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Waterloo Greenway Conservancy | Austin, TX | $512,218 | 21 | 5 | 2025 |
| Woods Project the | Houston, TX | $503,500 | 7 | 4 | 2024 |
| Austin Parks Foundation | Austin, TX | $503,085 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Trees for Houston | Houston, TX | $502,500 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Neuhaus Education Center | Bellaire, TX | $500,500 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Young Audiences Inc of Houston | Houston, TX | $500,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Center for First-Generation Student Success Dba Firstgen Forward Co Nas | Washington, DC | $497,541 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hill Country Conservancy | Austin, TX | $491,527 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Avance - Austin | Austin, TX | $475,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The University of Texas Foundation - the University of Texas at Austin Coll | Austin, TX | $475,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mental Health America of Greater Houston | Houston, TX | $460,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Emerge Fellowship | Houston, TX | $450,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fueled Schools Inc | Houston, TX | $450,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| National Association for Family Child Care | Washington, DC | $450,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Austin, TX | $430,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Communities in Schools of Central Texas | Austin, TX | $425,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Texas Association for the Education of Young Children | Austin, TX | $415,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center for Transforming Alternative Preparation Pathways | Dallas, TX | $400,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Literacy Now | Houston, TX | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas | Dallas, TX | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Summer House Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Texas 2036 | Dallas, TX | $400,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of Houston - College of Education | Houston, TX | $400,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Houston Foundation | Houston, TX | $399,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Glassell School of Art | Houston, TX | $388,000 | 12 | 5 | 2025 |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $381,500 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| KIPP Texas Inc | Dallas, TX | $380,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Yes Prep Public Schools Inc | Houston, TX | $375,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Target Hunger | Houston, TX | $372,500 | 12 | 5 | 2025 |
| Education First | Seattle, WA | $372,313 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 40 Schools | New Orleans, LA | $370,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Inc | Houston, TX | $355,016 | 11 | 5 | 2025 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston | Houston, TX | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Breakthrough Central Texas | Austin, TX | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Onegoal | Houston, TX | $350,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Prounitas | Houston, TX | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Rice University School Literacy & Culture | Houston, TX | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Teach Plus Inc | Boston, MA | $350,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Trust for Learning a Project of New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $350,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX | $334,177 | 6 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Trail Conservancy | Austin, TX | $330,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Huntsville Independent School District | Huntsville, TX | $326,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens | Houston, TX | $325,000 | 10 | 5 | 2025 |
| Writers in the Schools | Houston, TX | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Austin Theatre Alliance | Austin, TX | $314,298 | 9 | 5 | 2025 |
| Houston Grand Opera Association Inc | Houston, TX | $310,100 | 9 | 5 | 2025 |
| Houston Ballet Foundation | Houston, TX | $310,000 | 10 | 5 | 2025 |
| Memorial Park Conservancy Inc | Houston, TX | $310,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Austin 2030 Network Co Social Good Fund Inc | Austin, TX | $308,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| William Marsh Rice University - Texas Policy Lab | Houston, TX | $305,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Festival for the Arts | Houston, TX | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Children at Risk Inc | Houston, TX | $300,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Educate Texas at Communities Foundation of Texas | Dallas, TX | $300,000 | 2 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mobile Loaves & Fishes Inc | Austin, TX | $300,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Texas Tech Foundation Inc - US Prep | Lubbock, TX | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Beacon | Houston, TX | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ieducate USA | Bellaire, TX | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Houston Zoo | Houston, TX | $297,000 | 11 | 5 | 2025 |
| Remind | Houston, TX | $291,100 | 8 | 4 | 2025 |
| Avance-Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $280,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Camp Allen | Navasota, TX | $276,500 | 14 | 3 | 2025 |
| Communities Foundation of Texas - Educate Texas | Dallas, TX | $275,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fotofest Inc | Houston, TX | $275,000 | 10 | 5 | 2025 |
| Menil Foundation Inc | Houston, TX | $262,380 | 6 | 3 | 2024 |
| Houston Area Women's Center | Houston, TX | $262,000 | 10 | 5 | 2025 |
| Bonterra Jumpstart Fund | Oakland Ca, CA | $260,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Urban Harvest Inc | Houston, TX | $260,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Alley Theatre | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| American National Standards Institute - Workcred Inc | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Complete College America Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Depelchin Children's Center | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Genesys Works - Houston | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Greater Houston Opportunity Youth Collaborative | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Main Street Theater Houston | Houston, TX | $250,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Texas Partnership for Out of School Time | Austin, TX | $250,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Hype Freedom School Inc | Houston, TX | $240,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Shoal Creek Conservancy | Austin, TX | $240,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Houston Audubon Society | Houston, TX | $239,968 | 8 | 5 | 2025 |
| Brighter Bites | Houston, TX | $235,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ballet Austin Incorporated | Austin, TX | $230,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Houston Arboretum & Nature Center | Houston, TX | $230,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Travis Audubon Society Inc | Austin, TX | $230,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Houston Downtown | Houston, TX | $230,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Austin Children's Museum - Thinkery | Austin, TX | $225,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bayou Land Conservancy | Spring, TX | $225,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bookspring | Austin, TX | $225,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Family Houston | Houston, TX | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Foundation Communities Inc | Austin, TX | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Memorial Assistance Ministries Inc | Houston, TX | $225,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Miller Theatre Advisory Board Inc | Houston, TX | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Literacy First | Austin, TX | $220,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Barton Springs Conservancy | Austin, TX | $215,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Families Empowered | Houston, TX | $215,000 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| Houston Symphony | Houston, TX | $211,704 | 7 | 4 | 2025 |
| Huntsville Public Library Friends Inc | Huntsville, TX | $210,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Relay Graduate School of Education | New York, NY | $210,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Chinese Community Center Inc | Houston, TX | $205,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Coastal Prairie Conservancy | Houston, TX | $205,000 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Austin Childrens Museum Dba Thinkery | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Bakerripley | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Austin and Travis County Inc | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Coalition for the Homeless of Houstonharris County | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Contemporary Austin Museum Inc | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Emerge | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Emancipation Park Conservancy | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Friends of the Children - Austin | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Houston Botanic Garden | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Leading Educators | New Orleans, LA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Literacy First Co the University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Philanthropy Advocates Co Waco Foundation | Waco, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prairie View A&m University | Prairie View, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Project Row Houses | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Roco | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rice University Texas Policy Lab | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Teach | Berkeley, CA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Teach-Org Inc | San Francisco, CA | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Teach for America - Houston | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Uthealth Houston | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| William Marsh Rice University - School Literacy & Culture | Houston, TX | $200,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | $199,375 | 14 | 4 | 2025 |
| The Safe Alliance | Austin, TX | $185,000 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Lifeworks | Austin, TX | $180,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Salvation Army | Houston, TX | $180,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Central Texas Food Bank | Austin, TX | $175,000 | 3 | 2 | 2025 |
| Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston | Harris County, TX | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Camp Allen Camp & Conference Center | Navasota, TX | $173,500 | 10 | 2 | 2024 |
| Austin Partners in Education | Austin, TX | $170,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ser-Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast Inc | Houston, TX | $170,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Boy Scouts of America - Circle Ten Council | Dallas, TX | $166,000 | 11 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sam Houston State University (shsu) | Huntsville, TX | $164,023 | 6 | 2 | 2025 |
| Center for Women & Their Work | Austin, TX | $162,250 | 4 | 3 | 2025 |
| Houston Youth Symphony | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Open Dance Project | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Performing Arts Houston | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Prelude Music Foundation | Houston, TX | $160,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| School Year Abroad Inc | North Andover, MA | $157,500 | 12 | 5 | 2025 |
| Austin Public Education Foundation Dba Austin Ed Fund | Austin, TX | $157,000 | 2 | 1 | 2025 |
| Teach to Educate All Children | Houston, TX | $156,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Any Baby Can Inc | Austin, TX | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bayou City Waterkeeper | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Connective | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Epog Academy | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Easter Seals of Greater Houston Inc | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Echoing Green Summer House Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Houston Public Library Foundation Inc | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| New Teacher Center | Santa Cruz, CA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Social Motion Inc | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Summer House Institute Co Echoing Green | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Children's Assessment Center Foundation | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Trinity River Food Bank | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Houston - Downtown College of Public Service | Houston, TX | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Childbuilders | Houston, TX | $147,500 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Bridges to Life | Houston, TX | $130,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Da Camera of Houston | Houston, TX | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Anderson Center for the Arts | Houston, TX | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Thinkery | Austin, TX | $130,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Genaustin Dba Girls Empowerment Network | Austin, TX | $128,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Mainspring Schools | Austin, TX | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| New Hope Housing Inc | Houston, TX | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Education Trust | Washington, DC | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wesley Community Center | Houston, TX | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center | Round Mountain, TX | $125,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star | Houston, TX | $120,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas | Austin, TX | $120,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Families in Nature | Austin, TX | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees | Houston, TX | $120,000 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Seedling Foundation | Austin, TX | $120,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Children's Museum Inc | Houston, TX | $118,675 | 3 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Arizona Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $116,000 | 12 | 5 | 2025 |
| Urban Roots | Austin, TX | $115,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Houston Metropolitan Dance Center Inc | Houston, TX | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Urban Enrichment Institute | Houston, TX | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries Inc - Greater Houston Opportuni | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Art League Houston | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Austin Youth & Community Farm Inc Dba Urban Roots | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blanton Museum of Art the University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston | Dallas, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| CASA Mateo | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eight Million Stories Inc | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ensemble Theatre the | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Genaustin (girls Empowerment Network Austin) | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Houston Education Research Consortium Co Rice University | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| KIPP Texas Public Schools | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Latinos for Education | Belmont, MA | $100,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Latinos for Education Inc | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Onegoal | Chicago, IL | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rooted School Foundation | New Orleans, LA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Teach for Houston | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Teach for America Inc Dba Teach for America - Austin | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Teach-Org Inc Dba Teach for Houston | San Francisco, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Texas Cultural Trust Council Dba Texas Cultural Trust | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The University of Texas Foundation - Literacy First | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Vincare Services of Austin Foundation Dba Saint Louise House | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| William Marsh Rice University - Houston Education Research Consortium | Houston, TX | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Youth Justice Alliance | Austin, TX | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arts Connect | Houston, TX | $95,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Children's Museum of Houston | Houston, TX | $91,405 | 3 | 1 | 2021 |
| Con Mi Madre | Austin, TX | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Howard University | Washington, DC | $90,000 | 9 | 4 | 2025 |
| Manor Isd Education Foundation | Manor, TX | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Pair Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees | Houston, TX | $90,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of Central Texas Inc | Austin, TX | $90,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Episcopal High School | Bellaire, TX | $88,500 | 6 | 3 | 2025 |
| Texas State University Development Foundation | San Marcos, TX | $88,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| St John's School | Houston, TX | $86,500 | 13 | 5 | 2025 |
| W Oscar Neuhaus Memorial Foundation - Neuhaus Education Center | Bellaire, TX | $85,500 | 3 | 1 | 2023 |
259 of 523 (50%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 49%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- PRECINCT4FORWARD
Conservation: Connecting People to Nature - Kaboom
Conservation - Development of public playscapes in Walker County - Boys & Girls Club of Walker County
Post-Secondary Pathways: Post-Secondary Access and Success - Hermann Park Conservancy
Conservation - Play Your Park project and general support - Collaborative for Children
Early Childhood Development and Education: Quality early learning centers and providers - Houston Arts Alliance
Arts - Support launch of Houston BIPOC Arts Network Fund (BANF)
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 949 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 264 | $15.0M | $30,000 |
| 2022 | 288 | $19.6M | $37,500 |
| 2023 | 269 | $17.5M | $30,000 |
| 2024 | 276 | $18.5M | $30,000 |
| 2025 | 271 | $20.4M | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The Powell Foundation has 98 of them, worth $6,306,000. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Hay Center Foundation | Houston, TX | $300,000 |
| Teach | Berkeley, CA | $200,000 |
| Austin 2030 Network Co Social Good Fund Inc | Austin, TX | $178,000 |
| United Way for Greater Austin | Austin, TX | $150,000 |
| Texans Care for Children | Austin, TX | $150,000 |
| Echoing Green Summer House Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $150,000 |
| FIRST3YEARS | Addison, TX | $150,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Walker County | Huntsville, TX | $150,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Walker County | Huntsville, TX | $150,000 |
| Complete College America Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $125,000 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $100,000 |
| Houston Symphony Society | Houston, TX | $100,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston - Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens | Houston, TX | $100,000 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston - Glassell School of Art | Houston, TX | $100,000 |
| Summer House Institute | Philadelphia, PA | $100,000 |
Where its money goes
84% of its giving went to organizations in Texas. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund249 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc214 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc202 shared recipientsNational Philanthropic Trust173 shared recipientsVanguard Charitable Endowment Program158 shared recipientsGreater Houston Community Foundation141 shared recipients
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $30,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Texas.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Foundations funding education in TexasEvery funder in this groupFoundations funding human services in TexasEvery funder in this group
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Powell Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 2001 Kirby Drive 1011, Houston, TX, 77019. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 74-6104592 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
This is history, not an open call. Foundation returns are published about a year after the tax year ends. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this foundation has actually funded.
Is something here wrong about your foundation? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.